Guide to Getting Away from the Sunnyside Traveler

2019 Hiking week 5 Waterfall on the trail. This past weekend we had a long, fun, group hike in the mountains. We were visiting my parents outside of Greenville and we went for a hike. My parents have hiked all the waterfall trails and state parks in the upstate and parts of North Carolina. I’ve done many hikes with them over the years so we decided to do another this weekend. This time, my sister joined us with her dog. The trail is called Jones Gap Trail and is from Caesar’s Head State Park  to Jones Gap State Par k. It is mostly downhill, about 5 1/2 miles, with some waterfalls along the way. You follow the Middle Saluda passage of the Palmetto Trail . The section we started with was actually not part of the Palmetto Trail, but we joined up with it later. The park ranger at Caesar’s Head said that they’re planning some adjustments to the trails in the park, which will also change the route of the Palmetto Trail. I’m not sure their time-frame on this but hopefully it...

Asheville, North Carolina, is a great city for beer. It has recently gained popularity for its locally brewed beers and has attracted a few national breweries to the region. If you live in the South, this is a great city to tour and taste the many, varied offerings. Also, there are a few towns nearby that are worth checking out. About 30 minutes to the west is Brevard and maybe 15 minutes to the east is Black Mountain. Not to mention the many other towns worth visiting in the vicinity.  I prefer to start in Brevard and then head over to Asheville. The breweries in Brevard are open earlier so you can get the most out of a day trip. I suggest checking each place's website for hours for their tasting room as well as tour hours. I've attached my map with some places pinned on it. It helps so make a driving plan so you're not going all over town. Downtown Asheville traffic can get difficult, especially on a busy Saturday.  Be sure to have a designated driver for this!  Also...

Cashiers, NC Christmas tree farm “It’s the most wonderful time of the year...” Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. And for the past few years one of my favorite ways to bring in the Christmas season is to cut down a Christmas tree. I’ve grown up with Fraser firs and love the way they smell. And, luckily, I live in the south where I can drive up to Western North Carolina and have many places to choose from to cut a tree. There are tree farms all across the southern Appalachian Mountains that grow Fraser firs as well as other types of Christmas trees. To really jump into the Christmas spirit and join the masses, head out to get your tree on the day after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”). This has been our tradition and I would rather fight the small crowds in getting a Christmas tree instead of fighting crowds at a mall. Also, you have a better chance at getting a good tree. We usually go to Cashiers or Highlands, North Carolina. There are a few places in this area ...